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Doctors Health Press, a division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation and publisher of various natural health newsletters, books, and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is reporting on a new study finding that vitamin C can kill drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis.

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Doctors Health Press, a division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation and publisher of various natural health newsletters, books, and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is reporting on a new study finding that vitamin C can kill drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis.

As the article “Research Sheds New Light on Vitamin C” reports, the latest numbers from the World Health Organization indicate tuberculosis affected 8.7 million people and took the lives of 1.4 million in 2011. What’s become an increasing problem, however, are new strains of the bacteria that don’t respond to current treatments. These cases were responsible for 650,000 deaths, so it’s apparent how vital it is that researchers find an appropriate treatment for tuberculosis, especially as new strains of the virus appear.

The Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin article states that researchers wanted to learn why certain forms of tuberculosis were resistant to the drug “Isoniazid.” Upon examination, they noticed the drug was missing a common molecule, so they added the amino acid cysteine; they thought the bacteria would resist, but it was, surprisingly, killed. Based on these results, they hypothesized that the cysteine helped kill the tuberculosis bacteria by stopping the production of free radicals, which can damage DNA. Next, they tested the effects of vitamin C, which is high in antioxidants that inhibit free radicals. The results were the same—the vitamin C sterilized all strands on its own.
As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin notes, this could lead to a major breakthrough in treatment for tuberculosis and drug manufacturing in the future. By adding vitamin C to medication, it’s possible these drug-resistant strains can be treated. As of right now, the effects of vitamin C have only been realized in a lab setting and still need to be tested on humans.

Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin concludes by stating that while vitamin C has numerous health benefits and can be taken as a preventative measure or used as treatment for a number of conditions, getting enough vitamin C can be difficult. The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75–90 milligrams (mg) per day, but to truly achieve health results, closer to 500 mg per day is needed. According to Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, the best way to get there is for individuals to eat four or five servings of fruits and vegetables per day and take a supplement if they’re not getting enough vitamin C from their diet. An individual should not consume more than 2,000 mg.